Hand cultivator and weeder



Feb. 28, 1939. o. E. OLSON HAND CULTIVATOR AND WEEDER Filed March 22, 1937 INVENTOR v 050/12? 5 OLSON- HTTOKNEX Patented Feb. 28, 1939 2,148,772

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE HAND CULTIVATOR AND WEEDER Oscar Edward Olson, Minneapolis, Application March 22, 1937, Serial No. 132,309

Claims. (Cl. 97-63) This invention relates to a cultivator and numbers of teeth might be used, the forks are weeder and while the device may be made in shown as each having three teeth. Teeth IIla are various sizes for different uses, it particularly shown as made of small rods or wires and the is designed for a small cultivator and weeder same are slightly curved or hook-shaped as shown '5' adapted to be held in andoperated'by one hand. in Figs. 1 and 2 and they are provided with 5 It is desirable to have .a small implement which sharpened ends IOb. While the forks might be can be use-d to cultivate flower beds and other variously made, in the embodiment of the invenbeds containing comparatively small plants an tion illustrated they are shown as having the one which can be varied in width to suit the outer teeth Illa formed from a single rod or wire distance between the plants. It is also desirable to having the upper curved portion or bight Illc 10 have such an implement by means of which small which connects the outer teeth Illa. The central weeds which have been uprooted may be lifted tooth Illa extends substantially vertically and is and removed from the bed if desired. then bent substantially at a right angle to ex- It is an object of this invention, therefore, to tend rearwardly and substantially horizontally 16' provide a very simple cultivator and weeder prefand is continued as a handle or rod I I. A clip I2 erably of the small hand-operated type which formed of sheet metal has side portions In which can be used as a cultivator of different widths so are bent and clamped around portion IIIc at the as to be used between plants in a bed. upper end of each outer tooth Illa. Clip I2 has a It is a further object of the invention to provide central portion I2b which extends over the top of 20. such an implement comprising a pair of toothed portion I00 and at its rear is bent around and 20 members or forks which can be moved to culticlamped on the forward portions of members II, vate the ground and which can also be moved which members as previously stated continue fortogether to vary the effective width of the implewardly beneath portion I00 and are bent down merit. to form the central tooth Illa. Clips I2 are shown It is another object of the invention to proas having holes I2c therethrough. The members 25 vide a hand-operated cultivator and weeder com- II are formed into circular coils Ila intermediate prising a pair .of forks or toothed members their ends, which coils are disposed at the outer adapted to be moved toward and from each other sides of members II. Members I I are formed into and adapted to be brought into substantal alineand connected at their ends opposite the forks III ment longitudinally of the device. by a coil II b of circular formation. The rods 30 It is still another object of the invention to or wires II are of resilient material and said provide a hand-operated cultivator and weeder rods are thus resiliently connected at their ends. comprising a pair of forks or toothed members It will be noted that the rods II are of different disposed in substantially vertical planes and havlengths. With this construction when rods II ing handles or rods extending horizontally thereare moved toward each other the forks Illa can 5 from and resiliently connected so that said membe brought into substantial alinement longibers can readily be moved toward and from each tudinally of the device. The forks are thus in other, said rods or handles preferably being prooverlapping relation and as seen in Fig. 2 the vided with means forming finger holes. fork on the short member II will have its upper These and other objects and advantages of the portion passing beneath the rear portion of clip 40 invention will be fully set forth in the following I2. description made in connection with the accom- In operation, the operator will grasp the impanying drawing in which like reference characplement from the top, preferably placing the 'ters refer to similar parts throughout the several thumb in one loop or coil Na and the second views and in which: finger in the other loop Il The device will 45 Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device; thus be firmly held in the hand and the forks IIl Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device; may be use-d to dig or to cultivate the ground by d a longitudinal bodily movement of the device.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the device. The device can be used of the full width shown Referring to the drawing, a device is shown in Fig. 3 or the rods II might be further sepa- 50 comprising a plurality of toothed members or rated to increase this width. If it is desired to forks I 0. While the number of these might be have a smaller width to get in between some varied, in the embodiment of the invention illusplants or to get close to a plant the rods II can trated two are shown. Each fork I0 is provided be moved toward each other to bring forks I0 with a plurality of teeth I Ila and while various closer together and this movement can be con- 55 tinued until the forks are substantially in alinement longitudinally of the device. When pressure is released on members I l they will move to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by the resiliency of loop III). This movement of forks l toward and from each other can also be 'used as a cultivating movement since the forks do not move in the same plane. With the described movements the ground can be nicely mulched or cultivated and the small weeds therein uprooted. After the weeds have been uprootedor dug out they can be rake-d together by moving the device longitudinally and using it as a rake. The weeds can thus be collected and when so collected they can be picked up by being grasped between forks III by moving the latter together and lifted from the bed. The device can thus be used somewhat as tongs and the Weeds need not be touched with the hands. The device can be easily and quickly moved to a smaller or larger width in cultivating around and between plants so that the work can be done very rapidly and with little danger of striking or injuring a plant.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided an extremely simple and highly efficient cultivator and weeder. The device can be used as a digger, cultivator, rake, weeder and weed remover. The structure is 'very simple and yet the device is very rugged and durable. In practice the same will preferably be painted or enameled to prevent corrosion to make it convenient for handling. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efficient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally state-d, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. A hand cultivator and weeder comprising a plurality of laterally spaced forks disposed in substantially vertical planes, members extending substantially horizontally from said forks and resiliently connected at their other ends, said members being of different lengths whereby said members may be moved toward each other and said forks moved into overlapping relation.

2. A hand cultivating and weeding device comprising a plurality of laterally spaced forks disposed in substantially vertical planes, rods extending from said forks and resiliently connected at their other ends so as to normally move apart and position said forks in laterally spaced relation, said rods being movable toward and from each other, whereby said forks may in operation be reciprocated laterally by movement of said rods and the resilient action thereof and said forks may also be moved through the ground by a longitudinal movement of said device.

3. A hand cultivator and weeder comprising a pair of toothed members disposed in substantially vertical planes, rods extending substantially horizontally therefrom and resiliently connected at their other ends so as to normally be urged apart, said members being movable in operation toward and from each other and into substantial alinement lengthwise of said rods.

4. A hand cultivator and weeder comprising a pair of toothed members disposed in substantially vertical slightly spaced planes, a pair of small rods or wires extending from said members respectively horizontally and formed into a resilient loop at their other ends so that said rods are urged to separated position, said rods being provided with loops between said resilient loop and said toothed members to form finger holds by means of which said rods may be moved together whereby said forks may be reciprocated laterally.

5. A hand cultivator and weeder comprising a pair of cultivating members, rods extending from said members substantially at right angles there to and forming handles, said rods being connected at their other ends for reciprocation in operation toward and from each other so that said members may be moved toward and from each other, said members being disposed in offset vertical planes so as to be movable into overlapping relation by movement of said rods.

OSCAR EDWARD OLSON. 

